A man gains excess belly fat that increases resistance to blood flow and stress on the heart. What happens to vascular resistance and cardiac workload?

• A. The resistance will decrease and heart stress decreases
• B. The resistance to blood flow will increase and the heart will experience more stress
• C. No change
• D. Increases resistance but decreases heart stress

Answer: (B)

When peripheral vascular resistance goes up, the heart has to pump against a higher pressure—that’s increased afterload, which raises cardiac workload. Excess belly fat, especially visceral fat, promotes higher vascular resistance through inflammatory changes, endothelial dysfunction (less nitric oxide, more vasoconstrictors), and often increased blood volume, all of which raise blood pressure. So the scenario means both vascular resistance and the heart’s workload increase. The other options describe decreases or no change, which wouldn’t fit the rise in afterload you’d expect with more abdominal fat.